Breathwork for Beginners and a Guide to Techniques, Benefits, and Safety
- Feb 19, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 18, 2025
Written by Tundie Berczi, Well-being Consultant
Tundie is a Well-being Consultant, Neuroscience MSc student, and expert in breathwork, meditation, and therapeutic coaching. With a background in corporate well-being, neuroscience, and holistic healing, she helps individuals and organisations reduce stress and cultivate mental clarity through science-backed and transformational practices.
Have you ever noticed how your breath changes when you're stressed, calm, or excited? Breathwork isn’t just about breathing. It is a powerful, science-backed practice that can transform your mind and body. In this guide, we will explore different breathwork techniques, their benefits, scientific research, and essential safety tips to help you get started on your journey to better well-being.
Breathwork is a powerful practice that uses conscious breathing techniques to influence mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It has been practised for centuries in yoga, meditation, and therapeutic settings, and today, it is widely recognised as a tool for stress reduction, emotional balance, and improved focus (Jerath et al., 2006).
Breathwork for beginners: What you need to know
Breathwork refers to intentional control of your breath to activate specific responses in the body. It can be used to:
Reduce stress and anxiety
Improve focus and cognitive function
Enhance relaxation and sleep quality
Increase energy and physical endurance
Support emotional healing and trauma release
Unlike regular breathing, breathwork techniques involve rhythmic patterns, breath holds, and deep conscious breathing to create physiological and psychological shifts.
If you are looking for breathwork for beginners resources, you can find guided sessions on YouTube or through breathwork apps that provide structured practices for relaxation, focus, and energy.
Types of breathwork
There are several types of breathwork, each with its unique purpose. Most techniques fall into two main categories:
1. Energising breathwork
Energising breathwork techniques increase oxygen intake, stimulate the nervous system, and boost focus and alertness. These methods are particularly useful in the morning, before a workout, or when you need mental clarity.
Examples include:
Wim hof breathing: A sequence of deep inhales followed by short breath holds to increase oxygen saturation and improve endurance.
Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath): Rapid, forceful exhales through the nose that cleanses the lungs and invigorates the body.
Bhastrika (bellows breath): Fast-paced inhalations and exhalations to generate heat, awaken the senses, and enhance mental alertness.
2. Relaxing breathwork
Relaxing breathwork techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting deep relaxation, stress relief, and emotional balance. These techniques are ideal before sleep, during meditation, or when managing anxiety.
Examples include:
4-7-8 breathing: Inhale for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds; this helps lower stress and promote sleep.
Coherent breathing: Maintaining a steady inhale and exhale cycle (e.g., five seconds in, five seconds out) to regulate heart rate and nervous system activity.
Diaphragmatic breathing: Deep breathing into the belly rather than the chest to encourage full oxygen exchange and relaxation.
Each of these breathwork techniques serves a different function, so choosing the right one depends on your goals.
Breathwork benefits
Practising breathwork regularly provides a range of scientifically supported benefits:
1. Stress and anxiety reduction
Breathwork techniques help regulate the autonomic nervous system, shifting the body from a fight-or-flight response to a calm, relaxed state. Studies show that deep, controlled breathing reduces cortisol levels, lowering stress and anxiety (Zaccaro et al., 2018).
2. Improved focus and mental clarity
Deep breathing increases oxygen flow to the brain, improving cognitive function, decision-making, and concentration (Critchley et al., 2015). Techniques like box breathing and alternate nostril breathing are often used to enhance mental clarity and productivity.
3. Emotional release and trauma healing
Breathwork can help release suppressed emotions and unresolved trauma stored in the body. This is particularly relevant for techniques like Holotropic Breathwork, which can facilitate profound emotional experiences.
4. Better sleep and relaxation
Breathing patterns such as 4-7-8 breathing and coherent breathing help slow down the heart rate and calm the mind, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep (Tsai et al., 2015).
5. Increased energy and physical endurance
Oxygen efficiency plays a key role in stamina and physical performance. Breathwork techniques like Wim Hof breathing optimise oxygen utilisation, increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue (Rahayu et al., 2021).
6. Enhanced immune function
Certain breathwork techniques strengthen the immune system by increasing oxygenation, improving circulation, and reducing inflammation .
Scientific research on breathwork benefits
Many studies have explored the effectiveness of breathwork techniques, showing their positive impact on stress reduction, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall health. Below are three key research findings:
1. Stress and anxiety reduction
A study by Zaccaro et al. (2018) found that slow, controlled breathing techniques significantly reduce anxiety levels by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels. Participants who practised coherent breathing for a few weeks reported lower stress and improved emotional resilience.
2. Improved cognitive function and focus
Research by Critchley et al. (2015) showed that controlled breathing enhances brain function by increasing oxygen supply to the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for decision-making, focus, and emotional regulation. Their findings suggest that breathwork techniques like box breathing and alternate nostril breathing can improve concentration, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.
3. Enhanced emotional regulation and trauma healing
A study by Hopper et al. (2019) on breathwork and trauma processing demonstrated that deep breathing practices help regulate the nervous system and facilitate the release of suppressed emotions. Participants engaging in breathwork therapy showed significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and emotional distress, highlighting breathwork’s therapeutic potential in trauma healing.
These findings confirm that breathwork techniques are not just anecdotal but scientifically supported tools for mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
Getting started with breathwork for beginners
If you are just starting, the key to success is consistency and patience.
Follow these steps to integrate breathwork into your routine:
Start small: Practise for just 2-5 minutes a day with diaphragmatic breathing or box breathing.
Create a habit: Set aside time each morning or before bed for a structured breathwork session.
Use a guided session: Follow a tutorial on YouTube or use a breathwork app to keep yourself on track.
Listen to your body: If you feel lightheaded or uncomfortable, adjust your breathing pace or take a break.
If you want to learn any of the energising or relaxing breathwork techniques, I highly recommend seeking guidance from a trained professional. When practised incorrectly, these techniques can sometimes lead to energetic or physical blockages. Whether you choose to learn from me or another expert, ensure you receive proper instruction to fully experience their life-changing benefits. If I can assist, feel free to reach out here.
Read more from Tundie Berczi
Tundie Berczi, Well-being Consultant
Tundie is a Well-being Consultant specialising in stress management, resilience, and workplace wellness. With over a decade in the corporate world, she understands the demands of high-performance environments and integrates neuroscience, breathwork, and holistic therapies to create effective well-being solutions. She delivers corporate workshops, individual coaching, and breathwork meditation programs designed to help people gain clarity, balance, and focus. As a Cognitive Neuroscience student and certified Pranayama Breathwork and Meditation Teacher, Therapist, and coach, she merges science with holistic practices to facilitate deep, lasting transformation.
References:
Critchley, H. D., Eccles, J. A., & Garfinkel, S. N. (2015). Interaction between cognition, emotion, and the autonomic nervous system. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 128, 177-191.
Hopper, J. W., Nagurney, A., Schnyer, D. M., & Macklin, M. L. (2019). The impact of breath-focused meditation on emotional processing and trauma symptoms. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32(5), 794-804.
Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural, respiratory, and cardiovascular correlates. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566-571.
Pryss, R., John, D., Reichert, M., & Schlee, W. (2019). Mobile crowd sensing in the context of mental disorders: The example of mindfulness. Sensors, 19(15), 3340.
Rahayu, T., Suryani, S., & Nursalam, N. (2021). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing exercise on stress reduction. Nurse and Health: Jurnal Keperawatan, 10(2), 67-74.
Tsai, H.-J., Wang, W.-H., & Wei, T.-M. (2015). The effects of diaphragmatic breathing on stress reduction and sleep improvement. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 21(9), 520-528.
Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353.
